Daniel 7:8

7:8 “As I was contemplating the horns, another horn – a small one – came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. ¹  This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant ²  things.

Daniel 7:20

7:20 I also wanted to know ³  the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes ⁴  and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. ⁵ 

Daniel 8:24-25

8:24 His power will be great, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause terrible destruction. ⁶  He will be successful in what he undertakes. ⁷  He will destroy powerful people and the people of the holy ones. ⁸  8:25 By his treachery ⁹  he will succeed through deceit. ¹⁰  He will have an arrogant attitude, ¹¹  and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes. ¹²  He will rise up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken apart – but not by human agency. ¹³ 

Daniel 11:28

11:28 Then the king of the north ¹⁴  will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land.

Daniel 11:30-31

11:30 The ships of Kittim ¹⁵  will come against him, leaving him disheartened. ¹⁶  He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor ¹⁷  those who forsake the holy covenant. 11:31 His forces ¹⁸  will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, ¹⁹  stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up ²⁰  the abomination that causes desolation.

Daniel 11:36-37

11:36 “Then the king ²¹  will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of ²²  wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. ²³  11:37 He will not respect ²⁴  the gods of his fathers – not even the god loved by women. ²⁵  He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all.

[7:8]  ¹ tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”

[7:8]  ² tn Aram “great.” So also in vv. 11, 20.

[7:20]  ³ tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:20]  ⁴ tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.

[7:20]  ⁵ tn Aram “greater than its companions.”

[8:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “extraordinarily he will destroy.”

[8:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “he will succeed and act.”

[8:24]  ⁸ tn See the corresponding Aramaic expression in 7:27. If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. One could translate, “people belonging to (i.e., protected by) the holy ones.” If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” One could translate simply “holy people.” For examples of a plural appositional genitive after “people,” see 11:15, 32. Because either interpretation is possible, the translation has deliberately preserved the ambiguity of the Hebrew grammar here.

[8:25]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew term has a primary meaning of “skill, insight,” but here it has the connotation “cunning, treachery.” See BDB 968 s.v. שֵׂכֶל, שֶׂכֶל.

[8:25]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he will cause deceit to succeed by his hand.”

[8:25]  ¹¹ tn Heb “in his heart he will act arrogantly.”

[8:25]  ¹² tn Heb “in peace.” The Hebrew word used here is difficult. It may refer to the security felt by those who did not realize the danger of imminent attack, or it may refer to the condition of being unaware of the impending danger. The latter idea is reflected in the present translation. See further, BDB 1017 s.v. שַׁלְוָה.

[8:25]  ¹³ tn Heb “with nothingness of hand.”

[11:28]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:30]  ¹⁵ sn The name Kittim has various designations in extra-biblical literature. It can refer to a location on the island of Cyprus, or more generally to the island itself, or it can be an inclusive term to refer to parts of the Mediterranean world that lay west of the Middle East (e.g., Rome). For ships of Kittim the Greek OT (LXX) has “Romans,” an interpretation followed by a few English versions (e.g., TEV). A number of times in the Dead Sea Scrolls the word is used in reference to the Romans. Other English versions are more generic: “[ships] of the western coastlands” (NIV, NLT); “from the west” (NCV, CEV).

[11:30]  ¹⁶ sn This is apparently a reference to the Roman forces, led by Gaius Popilius Laenas, which confronted Antiochus when he came to Egypt and demanded that he withdraw or face the wrath of Rome. Antiochus wisely withdrew from Egypt, albeit in a state of bitter frustration.

[11:30]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “show regard for.”

[11:31]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “arms.”

[11:31]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”

[11:31]  ²⁰ tn Heb “will give.”

[11:36]  ²¹ sn The identity of this king is problematic. If vv. 36-45 continue the description of Antiochus Epiphanes, the account must be viewed as erroneous, since the details do not match what is known of Antiochus’ latter days. Most modern scholars take this view, concluding that this section was written just shortly before the death of Antiochus and that the writer erred on several key points as he tried to predict what would follow the events of his own day. Conservative scholars, however, usually understand the reference to shift at this point to an eschatological figure, viz., the Antichrist. The chronological gap that this would presuppose to be in the narrative is not necessarily a problem, since by all accounts there are many chronological gaps throughout the chapter, as the historical figures intended by such expressions as “king of the north” and “king of the south” repeatedly shift.

[11:36]  ²² tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.

[11:36]  ²³ tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.

[11:37]  ²⁴ tn Heb “consider.”

[11:37]  ²⁵ tn Heb “[the one] desired by women.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.